A musical duet with AI herself | Todd Almond and Donna Murphy

TED Talks Daily

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4.1 • 11.9K Ratings

🗓️ 18 June 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In a show-stopping duet, Broadway legends Todd Almond and Donna Murphy (portraying the imagined character of AI) dig into our tangled relationship with artificial intelligence — blending wit and warmth with a touch of existential dread. This Broadway act, written exclusively for TED, is cabaret meets searing social commentary meets comedic gold.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas and conversations to spark
0:11.8	your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hugh. I love so many of the TED Talks and performances
0:18.9	we share with you here each day. And over the years,
0:22.0	I've learned so much, laughed so much, and even shed a few tears. But today's performance
0:28.1	is really special, and I'm so excited to share it with you. We'll quickly set the scene for you.
0:34.5	Composer, author, and performer Todd Allman walks on stage and sits down at a grand piano.
0:40.6	And over the next 10 minutes, he accompanies the imagined voice of artificial intelligence herself,
0:46.7	played by the incredible actor and singer Donna Murphy. It's cabaret meets searing social commentary,
0:53.6	meets comedic gold. Enjoy.
1:00.0	At my hospital, we're not doing everything we can. In my lab, we're leaving stones unturned.
1:10.1	Parents like me know there's more that could be done.
1:14.0	The UK spends less on medicines than other European countries,
1:17.8	which means UK patients don't always get the widest range of treatments available.
1:23.7	Find out how the pharmaceutical industry is working to change this at our common goal.org.
1:30.1	Okay.
1:32.2	Hey, we're still off a pickleball Sunday.
1:34.2	Hold on a sec.
1:35.7	Hey, how's the hustle?
1:36.8	Pretty busy.
1:37.5	No time to chat.
1:38.3	I'm married to the grind.
1:39.7	He's asking me my 10K time.
	...

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